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The Daily OrangeBerman: Little success after national titles burden SU, Maryland
By Zach Berman
Posted: 3/19/08, 10:29 PM EST Section: Sports
That senior season, by the way, was supposed to be this year - when SU was crunched with a lack of depth and experience. This is no coincidence.
Even if the general opinion suggests Syracuse deserved to make the NCAA Tournament last season and despite prevailing limitations that made it somewhat acceptable to miss the Tournament this season, the overall body of work in the five years since the championship is alarming. It's even more disheartening when analyzing recent NCAA Tournament history. Of the last 10 national champions with five elapsed proceeding seasons - from 1994-2003 - just four failed to reach the Final Four in those five years: UCLA in 1994, Kentucky in 1998, Maryland in 2002 and Syracuse in 2003.
UCLA reached seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments after its title - including four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight. At their first sniff of a spring without the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins replaced their coach. Kentucky made the NCAA Tournament every season since its title and reached the Elite Eight three times in that span. Under pressure for seemingly not making the Final Four every season, former coach Tubby Smith bolted to Minnesota last offseason.
Clearly, the Final Four drought meant more to fans than shaking their heads and waiting until next season.
The program Syracuse most compares to is Maryland. Since the Terrapins won the national championship the season before SU, they also failed to capitalize on the momentum generated from the Finals run.
In the five years after the Terps won the title, they were 104-57 with four NCAA Tournament victories and two NIT appearances. They never advanced past the Sweet 16. It didn't get better this season, when Maryland finished the regular season 18-14 with an 8-8 Atlantic Coast Conference record.
What distinguishes these numbers are the five enormously successful years that preceded Maryland's title. In those years, Maryland went 120-49 with nine NCAA Tournament wins and no NIT appearances. They made the Final Four in 2001.
Even if the general opinion suggests Syracuse deserved to make the NCAA Tournament last season and despite prevailing limitations that made it somewhat acceptable to miss the Tournament this season, the overall body of work in the five years since the championship is alarming. It's even more disheartening when analyzing recent NCAA Tournament history. Of the last 10 national champions with five elapsed proceeding seasons - from 1994-2003 - just four failed to reach the Final Four in those five years: UCLA in 1994, Kentucky in 1998, Maryland in 2002 and Syracuse in 2003.
UCLA reached seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments after its title - including four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight. At their first sniff of a spring without the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins replaced their coach. Kentucky made the NCAA Tournament every season since its title and reached the Elite Eight three times in that span. Under pressure for seemingly not making the Final Four every season, former coach Tubby Smith bolted to Minnesota last offseason.
Clearly, the Final Four drought meant more to fans than shaking their heads and waiting until next season.
The program Syracuse most compares to is Maryland. Since the Terrapins won the national championship the season before SU, they also failed to capitalize on the momentum generated from the Finals run.
In the five years after the Terps won the title, they were 104-57 with four NCAA Tournament victories and two NIT appearances. They never advanced past the Sweet 16. It didn't get better this season, when Maryland finished the regular season 18-14 with an 8-8 Atlantic Coast Conference record.
What distinguishes these numbers are the five enormously successful years that preceded Maryland's title. In those years, Maryland went 120-49 with nine NCAA Tournament wins and no NIT appearances. They made the Final Four in 2001.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
S. Grzelak
posted 3/20/08 @ 9:47 AM EST
Well written article that could be supplemented with two key points.
First, the NCAA tournament has clearly moved from representing the BEST 64-65 teams to one that has remained loyal to smaller, less talented conference winners. (Continued…)
Marc LeVine
posted 3/21/08 @ 11:48 AM EST
Problem with an article like this is that it often comes back to haunt the writer in the future.
I remember reading an article about the Boston Red Sox back in '86, after the Mets beat them in the World Series. (Continued…)
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